Connor McDavid cross-check vs Canucks
(Photo by Bailey Hillesheim/Icon Sportswire)

HIGHLIGHTS

  • Connor McDavid receives match penalty for brutal cross-check
  • McDavid faces possible suspension after avoiding discipline for elbow
  • Read below for the McDavid cross-check video and full story.

Connor McDavid had enough of Conor Garland.

McDavid was assessed a match penalty at the end of tonight’s game vs Vancouver for a nasty cross-check on Conor Garland. This is one act that might earn the NHL superstar a legit suspension.

McDavid and Garland were tangled up in the final seconds of Saturday’s game, before Garland tackled McDavid down to the ice and also put the Oilers’ star in a headlock. McDavid responded with a vicious cross-check to Garland’s head.

Check out the clip for yourself below:

A match penalty means the player is ejected from the remainder of the game. In this case, that part was irrelevant, as only two seconds remained in regulation. McDavid’s Oilers lost 3-2, so it’s easy to see where #97’s frustration stems from.

McDavid had a right to be upset being pinned down by another player, but that cross-check is too far. Fellow NHL superstar Auston Matthews received a two-game suspension for a similar cross-check on Sabres’ defenseman Rasmus Dahlin back in 2022. In that case, Matthews was frustrated, just like McDavid.

There is clear intent to injure by McDavid, so we expect a hearing for him on Sunday. The newly minted 28-year-old escaped supplemental discipline for a chicken wing elbow that injured Marcus Johansson on Wednesday. He likely won’t get lucky twice.

If the refs were doing their job properly and called an initial penalty, McDavid’s frustration likely wouldn’t have boiled over to this point. But when the officials aren’t policing the game, the players have to do it themselves. Still, McDavid’s cross-check isn’t acceptable.

Tyler Myers also received a match penalty in the game for a cross-check on Evan Bouchard. You could argue this one was even worse. Early reports indicate both players will have hearings on Sunday for their actions in the game.

Garland is doing something right if he aims to be somewhat of an NHL agitator. You might remember, back in 2023, his actions led Colorado superstar Nathan MacKinnon to snap and throw a helmet at his face.

McDavid has, in fact, been suspended before. In 2019, he was suspended two games for an illegal check to the head of New York Islanders defenseman Nick Leddy. McDavid was also fined $5,000 for an elbow to then-Montreal Canadiens forward Jesperi Kotkaniemi.

McDavid is a fan favorite for obvious reasons, but as the saying goes: You either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain.